The so-called Transformation Plan aimed at reinventing the school district closes 10 buildings, reopens one elementary, and consolidates and changes other programs.The plan will save more than $22.4 million over five years, with at least half being re-invested in replicating and expanding effective school programs as well as creating new ones and the rest going to strengthen reserves.

Key issues driving the need to restructure are declining enrollment reflected in the 17 of 43 buildings below 60 percent capacity, and low test scores reflecting only pockets of excellence. This includes having 10 Priority Schools – ranked in the bottom 5 percent of state schools, based on student achievement, achievement gaps and student growth over time in reading and mathematics. The schools run the risk for the state reform district, the Education Achievement Authority, stepping in.

“I am very excited about all the education opportunities this plan will provide,’’ said Neal, who thanked the school board for their commitment to students and focus on the mission. “This plan will allow for excellence in every classroom.”

Neal said parents and building staff have to be committed to working together for the educational success of children. She said she wants the community stakeholders to stay engaged and work to create opportunities outside of the classroom for children.

The plan was only tweaked slightly from Neal’s final recommendation in November, which included changes based on input from five community meetings. After much debate and number crunching, Creston High School, 1720 Plainfield Ave. NE, will still close. The test-in City High-Middle School, an International Baccalaureate school and the Center for Economicology, will relocate from 1400 Fuller Ave. NE and expand at the Creston site.

Thoughts of the two schools co-existing proved to costly, reducing estimated plan savings by $514,500, creating staffing issues and limiting elective and AP offerings. As recommended by Neal, current Creston students can finish out their high school career on Central High’s campus, 421 Fountain St. SE..

Neal is also consolidating all the career-focused Centers of Innovation programs such as the School of Health, Science, and Technology, on the Central campus downtown, in part, to be closer to community partners such as Spectrum Health.

The Creston closure, driven by capacity and finances, allows the district to consolidate from three to two athletic programs, which it could no longer afford. Only 44 percent of the students resided on the Northeast Side. Some parents warned the closure will further erode the number of families in the district.

Most of the changes in the restructure are at the elementary level. The district is doubling the number of pre/kindergarten through eighth-grade schools to 10 to ensure students are on target for college and career readiness before high school, and to respond to parent requests.

While Stocking Elementary, located at 863 Seventh St. NW, a 2010 controversial closing, reopens next year, three others will close: Campau Park Elementary (K-5), 50 Antoine St. SW; Covell Elementary (K-5), 1417 Covell Ave. NW; and Shawnee Park Math/Science/Technology (K-5), 2036 Chesaning Drive SE. The district will need to tap into sinking fund tax dollars for the $3 million to bring Stocking up to code.

North Park Elementary (K-5), 3375 Cheney Ave., is closing also but the building, which its 136 students shared with the Montessori program, will remain open because that program will now expand to a K-8. North Park students will now attend Aberdeen Elementary, 928 Aberdeen St. NE, a PreK - 8 theme school.

Aberdeen is a Priority School but Neal will be replacing school leadership and 50 percent of the school staff, as part of the state recommended Transformation Model for failing schools. That means comprehensive instructional reform strategies, extended learning and teacher planning time, and developing teacher and school leader effectiveness, which includes replacing the principal.

The Transformation Model is also planned four other Priority elementaries: Mulick Park, Brookside, Kent Hills and Campus. The Turnaround Model, which includes replacing 50 percent of the staff and a new instructional program ,is planned for three others on that list - Westwood and Alger middle, and Union High School. Of the Priority Schools, Union is the most vulnerable for state takeover, being on list for three years.

The plan calls for other elementary and middle schools to close but the buildings would be reopened as new or expanded programs. For example, Ford Middle would reopen as the new Gerald R. Ford Academic Center, becoming a PreK-8 theme school.

District-wide uniforms will be phased in beginning with elementary students next fall. Grades 6-8 will begin wearing uniforms in 2014-15, and the high schools in three years.

“This isn't the end. We still have plenty to do, but are grateful to have reached this point,” said school board president Senita Lenear, who thanked Neal and her staff for their hard work.“I hope the community feels heard and recognize that the collective input was extremely valuable.”

She said the next step is to effectively implement the plan.

One of the things the district is already working on is redrawing the school boundaries to determine where its nearly 18,000 students will go. Board member Jane Gietzen said it is unfortunate some students will have to change schools in order to move the district forward.

“There are many very tough but necessary changes recommended in this plan,” said Gietzen, who said she was impressed with the work done by Neal and her team. “We owe it to all of our children to save money we are putting into heating and maintaining half-full buildings and putting those dollars back in the classrooms. I believe that this plan is best for all children.”

Gietzen said what impressed her most about Neal is the great thought and care she has used in creating, communicating and changing this plan based on input. She said they have a lot of hard work ahead of them as the vote was only the start of the transformation, and the community needs to pull together and get it done for all children.

"I am truly excited about this plan because I believe the educational opportunities are going to be so much richer next year," said board member Wendy Falb, who said she likes that the district is re-investing in its "Themes Curriculum" and language immersion at Southwest Community Campus, as well as creating new theme programs.

The whole plan is built around strengthening and expanding what’s working and rethinking and addressing what’s not.

For example, the year-round schools at district elementaries were not translating overall into higher achievement, and part of that can be attributed to the high absenteeism. Those five programs have been eliminated at Dickinson and Campus elementaries, Coit Creative Arts Academy, and the downtown Grand Rapids Montessori K-8 program. Campau Park is scheduled to close.

The district wants to expand the popular, high-achieving Zoo School, which currently only serves 60 sixth-graders and has a waiting list. Staff is exploring serving sixth through eighth grade with two sections each.

The planned expansion of the Blandford School, which also serves 60 sixth-graders, was removed. Blanford Nature Center officials raised concerns about the increased traffic. Neal said the district will work with the center on exploring options.

Concerns about classroom experience and training raised by teachers, their union and some school board members, led to language regarding a potential partnership with Teach for America being removed. The organization is a national corps of recent college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for a minimum of two years in urban and rural communities. TFA is working with the EAA in Detroit.

The possible partnership was mentioned as part of the recommendation for Union High School and Westwood and Alger middle schools.

“The focus all along has been on talent and quality, that is not limited to any one organization or opportunity,” said John Helmholdt, district communications director, about specifically mentioning TFA. “For Union, Alger, and Westwood, we support implementing a talent recruitment initiative.”

The district also clarified its intentions regarding a PreK-12, none test-in IB Arts Academy, that would be housed on the campus with Ottawa Hills High Schools. That project is slated as a Phase II project, with exploration of potential Phase I implementation based on results of a feasibility study.

A few other highlights of the plan are:
• Conduct a compensation student to place teacher and other staff salaries in line with other districts.

• Military type academy for chronically disruptive students will be part of the Phase II alternative education study.

• Under planned growth projects, the district is exploring the expansion of Southwest Community Campus to PreK-12; and the expansion of CA Frost Environmental Science Academy to a PreK-12.

• Explore GRPS authorized nonprofit charter schools. The district currently authorizes one charter, the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center.
• One of the reinvestment initiatives targets Ottawa Hills High

School. The district is planning to partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) such as Howard University in Washington, D.C., as a potential path for interested Ottawa Hills High School students.